OCC boat auction sails through another year

May 1, 2013

Updated Aug. 21, 2013 1:17 p.m.

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As soon as the gates are opened at the Orange Coast College yacht auction, dozens of people hurriedly rush through to get first crack at the sailing items for sale. ISAAC ARJONILLA, ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER

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Newport Beach Dominique Banse digs through a crate filled with dozens of oceanic-themed books at the Orange Coast College boat auction. ISAAC ARJONILLA, ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER

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A man waiting in line to purchase items at the Orange Coast College boat auction holds a mixture of around 10 fenders and floats he picked out during the sale. ISAAC ARJONILLA, ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER

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Steve Grant sits on a chair and makes a phone call on Saturday morning. He was at the Orange Coast College boat auction to sell his woodwork; he also received two free boats, which he plans on using at his sailing school. ISAAC ARJONILLA, ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER

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A collection of canoes Orange Coast College boat auction are carefully arranged on the ground for people to examine. ISAAC ARJONILLA, ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER

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At the Orange Coast College boat auction, bidders try and evaluate the condition of the boat and whether or not it is a worthwhile investment. ISAAC ARJONILLA, ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER

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Shoppers at the Orange Coast College boat auction gather around a table filled with boating equipment and miscellaneous electronics. ISAAC ARJONILLA, ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER

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Kurt Zabriskie from Pasadena looks through a collection of safety harnesses scattered on a table at the Orange Coast College boat auction. ISAAC ARJONILLA, ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER

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22-year-old Nick Carlstedt leans on the side of a 21-foot Aquarius swing keel sailboat. He won it at the Orange Coast College boat auction for $50. ISAAC ARJONILLA, ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER

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Gus Viglione won Salud, a 1991 14-foot Electracraft, with his bid of $3,100 at the Orange Coast College boat auction. ISAAC ARJONILLA, ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER

As soon as the gates are opened at the Orange Coast College yacht auction, dozens of people hurriedly rush through to get first crack at the sailing items for sale. ISAAC ARJONILLA, ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER

COSTA MESA – A 21-foot sailboat sold for $50, an 18-foot Hobie catamaran went for $575 and a 26-foot sportfishing boat topped Orange Coast College's boat auction at the pretty price of $5,500.

More than 53 boats, including canoes and cruisers, were sold at the school's somewhat-annual boat auction and marine gear sale on Saturday, raising just under $50,000 for OCC's School of Sailing and Seamanship.

The collection of boats and marine gear is the result of donations the school receives over the year from boaters and sailing programs. OCC sailing director Brad Avery said everything is stored at the main campus' boatyard in Costa Mesa until a "critical mass" of nautical goods is assembled, ready for consumption by the public.

This year, around 150 patrons lined the gates for the opening of the marine gear sale at 9 a.m., with OCC school employees signaling "open for business" by blasting off a makeshift T-shirt gun. The crowd rummaged through used sails, life rafts, anchors and lines to find nautical treasures at steep discounts.

"One year, I remember Josh Minney of Minney's Yacht Surplus had a pillow case he was filling with stuff to sell at his store," Avery said. "We keep it lighthearted here."

With the gear sale wrapping up around 10 a.m., an auctioneer began warming up the microphone to kick off the boat auction. As the crowd migrated toward the boats, buyers pulled out their bidding paddles, ready to signal their intentions.

Avery has seen his fair share of interesting buyers and peculiar buys over the many auctions he has run.

"This year, one guy bought seven boats, and another guy paid $340 for a boat in 2-dollar bills," Avery said. "A number of these guys are obviously not married."

But some buyers did bring along their significant others, with a few checking for approval as the bidding heated up.

"Don't look at your wife for a bid, look up here," blared auctioneer Zachary Krone from the back of a golf cart outfitted with speakers.

Amid the action, 22-year-old Nick Carlstedt couldn't pass up the chance to own his own sailboat, placing the only bid on a 21-foot fixer-upper he won for $50.

"Now I've got to figure out where to put it," Carlstedt said.

Now in its 25th year, the boat auction has thinned out in terms of quality boats up for bid. In its heyday, the school would auction off around 120 boats, including some 40- and 60-footers.

Avery said an increase in companies providing boat donation options, along with the economic downturn, has boat owners looking for ways to make money off their old boats instead of just donating them.

But even with the smaller inventory, there were still a few diamonds in the rough, along with some cheap pickups.

Temecula resident Gus Viglione sweated out a bidding war to take home a 14-foot electric boat for $3,100, which he thought would go for more than $5,000, and Steve Grant nabbed two Lido 14 sailboats for free. Both were lacking a trailer.

"They've been neglected, but they just take some elbow grease," Grant said. "Clean them up and you can flip them for two or three grand."

"It's a huge amount of work that goes into putting this on," said OCC sailing program director Mette Segerblom, working her 11th boat auction. "But it's a lot of fun and good service to the community."

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